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Religious student groups at Vanderbilt have a choice to make in the next few weeks. Either drop requirements that their leaders sign a statement of faith. Or forfeit university funding and move off campus.

Vanderbilt’s Kirkland Hall (Vanderbilt Photo/Neil Brake)

School officials are beginning to enforce a more-than 20-year-old non-discrimination policy. But Christian organizations are feeling more like victims of discrimination.

The victims are vocal and include arguably the biggest man on campus.

A lecture hall of students cheered quarterback Jordan Rogers, brother of NFL superstar Aaron Rogers, as he spoke against what’s called an “all comers” policy.

Rogers is a member of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, one of more than 400 student groups at Vanderbilt being forced to comply with the rule. College Democrats have to accept Republicans. The Asian association must take Americans. Religious groups have to welcome atheists, and they say they’re happy to.

But under the rule, all members must also be eligible for leadership positions, which is where many draw the line.

“If someone who doesn’t share the faith is teaching, then what’s the point of even having these organizations?” Rogers asked.

A Shared Controversy

Student groups requiring leaders to hold particular beliefs has created thorny problems at private schools around the country. In 2003, Harvard University ultimately backed off of an “all comers” policy over objections from Christian organizations.

Controversy surfaced at Vanderbilt last school year. Several openly gay students say they were asked to leave a religious brotherhood.

At a recent town hall meeting it took two and a half hours to work up the nerve, but a student near the front of the lecture hall finally grabbed the microphone.

“My name is Cole Garrett,” he said. “As you may assume by the giant rainbow flag on my back, I am a gay man, and this is a very important and sensitive issue to me.”

Supporters of the university’s position have been heavily outnumbered at public meetings but not hard to find on campus.

At a volleyball tournament, sorority sisters in matching tank tops practice for their co-ed match. Sophomore Christine Rodriguez sees homosexuality as the undertone of arguments against school policy.

“Because obviously they can’t openly say, ‘oh yeah, the reason we’re angry is because of…we don’t want gay people in our organization,’” she says. “But you’ll hear it from other people like me I guess.”

Rodriguez says membership should be open to everyone. She’s a proud member of Alpha Chi Omega, which doesn’t exactly practice what she’s preaching.

“I know they try and say like the Greek system isn’t like that, like the Greek system isn’t an all-comers policy, but technically anyone can rush,” she says.

An Exemption for Greeks

Vanderbilt doesn’t see a problem with the selective pledging process either. School officials say fraternities and sororities are protected by a federal statute known as Title IX.

But opponents see hypocrisy.

“For them to exempt the Greeks shows me,” says Thomas Singleton of Franklin.

Singleton attended a lecture on the all comers rule last week. He’s a retired businessman, Vanderbilt alumnus and donor.

“If they insist on implementing this policy, I will probably stop all relationships with Vanderbilt,” he says. “I feel like Christians have a right to express their views and choose their leadership on this campus, and they seem to be the primary group singled out by this policy.”

Despite alumni threatening to put away their checkbooks, university officials have resolved to uphold the all comers policy.

Vanderbilt Provost Richard McCarty sees maintaining the rule as a way to overcome a checkered past with discrimination. The school kicked out a prominent black student during the Civil Rights era.

“And maybe some of us who are old enough to remember those days don’t ever want to go back,” he told students.

Now – though – it may be religious groups given the boot, but in the name of non-discrimination.